


Revelation

by princess_evans_addict



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Family, Family Issues, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-10-26 10:11:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17743934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princess_evans_addict/pseuds/princess_evans_addict
Summary: Kylie Stark has always been a problem child. Although there's a missing part of her life, her mother has always tried to keep her safe... Even from her father.





	1. ONE

“Ow!” I hiss, yanking on my trapped arm. “I can’t feel my arm!”

“Shut up,” The cop says, shoving me into the cell. I stumble and whirl around just in time to see the door of the holding cell slammed shut.

“Hey!” I smack my fists against the door, making as much noise as possible. “Let me out of here!” Sheesh. Is this how they treat guests?

The door opens, and the annoying cop stops in front of me. “Your mother is on her way now, Miss Anderson.”

I make a face. “Just Kylie. Why does she need to come here?”

The cop just stares. “You successfully hacked into top secret government files.”

I shrug. “Still doesn’t answer why she’s coming here.”

The cop doesn’t bother to answer, already heading towards the door. “If our suspicions are correct, you need to be contained before you jeopardize this entire country.”

Um, what? “Huh?” I ask stupidly.

He’s already gone.

…

I glare at my reflection coldly, knowing how the interrogation game works. About where I’m staring is the camera where they’re watching me. The sooner this is dealt with, the sooner I can leave,   
and the sooner my mother will pretend I didn’t do anything.

The door opens, and a tall African-American man steps in, wearing a long black trench coat and a black eye patch over his left eye. “Hello, Miss Anderson,” He says, his voice hard and lined with anger. “I’m Director Fury.”

“Just Kylie,” I say, back to glaring at the camera. “How long are you guys going to pretend I’m a criminal before realizing I’m not a threat?”

“That’s the problem,” He says, crossing his arms and staring me down. “We aren’t sure you’re not a threat.”

I glare back up at him defiantly. “What would I gain by leaking information?” I ask quietly. “Because I don’t see one.”

Fury keeps my gaze. “You remind me of someone,” he says, going through my file. “Someone I work with.”

“I wouldn’t know,” I say calmly. “I had only just breached security when the cops came. You guys work fast,” I say loudly, leaning over to look right at the camera.

“You seem familiar with this,” Fury comments dryly.

I shrug. “I don’t intentionally get arrested, but it’s the same process. They’ve never sent government officials before though.”

Fury crosses his arms. “Do you realize the consequences of your actions?” Fury asks, getting into business mode. “If any of that information had be leaked, the whole world could potentially be at   
risk.

Though he made me jump, his raised and slightly angrier voice doesn’t concern me. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t get it,” I say, shrugging.

Fury snatches my file back and stalks toward the door. “I know who you need to talk to,” He growls, grabbing the handle. “I don’t care what your mother says, he’s the one who needs to debrief   
you.”

Wait. “Why doesn’t Mom want me near this person?” I ask, frowning.

Fury’s already gone.

…

I glance at the door dismissively before returning to stare at my reflection. It always jars me; long, wavy dark-brown hair, warm brown eyes, and slightly tan skin. The polar opposite of my pale, blonde haired, blue-eyed mother. Not sure what happened. Of course, there’s also the fact that I’m a genius, where as my mother’s a high-school dropout. Again, not sure how that happened.   
Whoever my father is must be pretty smart.

“I’m impressed they got you to come,” I say calmly, my eyes never leaving the reflection. “Thought you’d be too busy, Mr. Stark.”

Tony Stark calmly strides up to the table and flips through my file, his eyes scanning quickly. “So you’re the one who shook them up?” He asks nonchalantly, looking at me with warm brown eyes.

I shrug. “Not sure why. It’s like they wanted to be hacked.”

Tony raises an eyebrow. “You hacked into SHIELD files that easily?” He asks emotionlessly.

I frown. “I don’t know what SHIELD is, but I’m guessing that’s why Fury McGrumpyPants was here.”

Tony lips twitch slightly. “Yes, Fury’s from SHIELD. I’m impressed you managed to tick him off.”

“Why is everyone so impressed?” I mutter to myself.

“A sixteen year old girl shouldn’t be able to hack secret government files.” Tony points out calmly.

“Most sixteen year old girls don’t have an insanely high IQ and a solid 4.0,” I retort. “What’s the big deal? I didn’t actually read the information.”

“But you would have,” Tony says, lounging in a chair. “Neither of us want to be here, so just tell me how you did it so we both can leave.”

“You’ll be able to leave. I won’t. Besides, I’m not stupid,” I cross my arms and tilt my chin up in a challenge. “You can just tell Fury I’m not gonna talk and go spend time with Pepper. I’m not   
telling you anything.”

Tony’s eyes narrow. “You do realize you’re talking to the most famous person in the world, right?”

I snort. “Yeah, the most famous playboy. You don’t scare me. You money doesn’t scare me. I don’t know why Fury even sent you in here.” I lean over and glare at the camera again. “I’m not   
stupid, Fury.” I call to the machine.

Tony sits straighter. “You know he’s watching,” he says bluntly.

I roll my eyes. “Duh,”

Tony sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “I need a drink.”

“No alcohol here,” I mutter absently, glancing at him. “Seriously. Leave.”

“Why doesn’t this situation bother you?” He asks curiously.

I sigh, leaning forward and staring right at Tony. “I’ve been going through this my entire life. I’ve disgraced my mother, her family, and if I knew my father, I’d disgrace him too. You can’t honestly tell me I need to care.”

Tony doesn’t break eye contact. “Considering my father, I understand perfectly,” he says calmly. “Why’d you hack into the files?”

I force myself to break away from his gaze. “To see how far I could go,” I say quietly. “Is that all, Mr. Stark?” I ask a little shakily. This is why I hate emotions.

Tony stands calmly, still watching me. “For now,” He says, shutting my file. “SHIELD will be in touch.”

I don’t bother to answer.

…

“You’ve got to be careful,” my mother says furiously, angrily adjusting her coat. “Do you realize how humiliating this is? These people are starting to know me by name.”

I swallow. “Sorry, Mom.”

“I’ve had enough, Kylie,” She snaps. “This has gone too far,”

Bang!

“Mom!” I scream, grabbing her as she clutches her chest, lowering herself to the ground with wide eyes. She moves her hand, and blood soaks through her shirt. “Mom, are you okay?”

“Run,” she chokes, grabbing my arm. “Run, and don’t look back.”

“Mom-”

“Go, Kylie,” she says, smiling weakly. “I love you.”

I look up, vaguely aware of my mother’s body going limp in my arms, and a tall man with a metal left arm looks down at me, wearing a black muzzle and black goggles. A tall man with dark hair and skin glares down at me, the skin on his head red and damaged.

“Hello, Kylie.” He says coldly, his smile completely fake.

The man with the metal arm moves, and all I know is darkness.


	2. TWO

I wince as the bright light hits my eyes, and I struggle to focus as I hear the ringing in my ears.

“You have nothing to fear, Tony Stark,” a tall Arabian man says smugly, smirking at the camera. I recognize him as the man with the ugly red marks on the side of his head, and I twist my wrists   
to find them attached to a chair. Great. “Of course, we do have something of yours in captivity.”

“What?” I ask hoarsely, drawing his attention.

The man smirks. “Hello, Kylie. I was just telling Stark about a little deal.”

“Who are you?” I demand angrily.

“I am Raza,” The man says calmly. “Shut your mouth until I am finished.”

“Excuse me?” I ask, raising an eyebrow. The man with a metal arm steps forward, and I clamp my mouth shut. “Never mind,” I offer weakly.

“You cannot kill me, Stark.” The man says coldly, turning back to the screen. “Give me one of your suits, and I will spare her life.”

My eyes widen in shock, but the man turns to me with a smile and another bag.

…

I gasp for breath as they tug me out of the water, and before I can regain any balance they hold me under again, costing me the air in my lungs. They pull me up and throw me on the ground, and   
I cough, frantically trying to get air.

“Follow me,” The metal arm guy says quietly, tugging me roughly to my feet. “Don’t speak or they’ll do it again.”

Clumsily I follow behind him, feeling extremely waterlogged and unbalanced. I never liked water much anyway; now I don’t think I’ll go near a shower.

Metal Arm stops in front of a metal door and types a code into the keypad, blocking my view with his body, and the door opens, revealing equipment and a small cot.

“Everything you need will be in here,” Metal Arm says coldly, masking the kindness I saw a few minutes ago.

I turn to face him. “For what?” I ask, crossing my arms.

Metal Arm watches me for a moment before sighing. “They didn’t tell you before they began,” He mutters mostly to himself. “They want you to build one of Stark’s old weapons until he comes back.”

“To kill him?” Metal Arm doesn’t answer, and I rub my temple. “Why?”

Metal Arm doesn’t speak for a while. “They believe you’re the only person capable of reaching Stark’s intelligence.”

I roll my eyes. “Funny,”

“I was being serious,” Metal Arm says, reaching up to remove his guards. I blink as warm brown eyes look at me, and a hint of stubble resides on his face around his frown. “You have to obey,”

I raise a dubious eyebrow.

Metal Arm sighs before stepping way into my personal space. “I can’t bust you out if you don’t cooperate,” he whispers.

My eyes widen slightly. “Who are you?” I ask quietly.

Metal Arm hesitates. “Here you can call me the Winter Soldier. Out there…” His voice drops to barely a breath. “My name is Bucky Barnes. I need to meet Steve Rogers.”

I sigh and nod, knowing the rules. “What weapon do they want?”

Bucky smirks. “Something you’ll probably love building.”

…

“What is this thing?” I ask, staring at the picture.

Bucky stands calmly at my shoulder, crossing his arms. “One of Stark’s last weapons. It’s called a Jericho Missile. Raza wanted one about a year ago, but Stark built a suit instead.”

The original Iron Man suit. I frown, looking at it from a different angle. “Why does he think I can build this?” I ask, turning to look at him.

Bucky frowns. “I’m not sure. Raza keeps as much as he can to himself.”

“Wasn’t he the leader of the Ten Rings?” I ask, frowning at him. “That group that attacked Gulmira?”

Bucky nods. “Obadiah Stane eliminated most of its followers, but Raza managed to survive thanks to HYDRA.”

“So why does he need this?” I ask, looking at the picture again.

“I’m not sure. He probably plans to attack either Stark mansion or Avengers tower.” Bucky hesitates. “To be perfectly honest, it’d be better for him to attack Stark’s mansion. Attacking New York   
could kill a lot of people.”

Oh wow. “Is it true Tony didn’t know how much destruction it caused? And that he destroyed everything?”

Bucky nods. “From what I’ve heard, yes.”

I whistle. “Nice,” I bite my lip. “I hate to say it, but it’s a pretty ingenious weapon. It could cause a lot of destruction.”

“Exactly.” Bucky leans against the table and stares at me calmly. “Now what do you choose to do?”

…

“Where else could she be?” Clint asks, shoving chips in his mouth.

Natasha glares at him, but doesn’t comment. “Raza could be anywhere.” Steve wraps a protective arm around her waist, and she relaxes, leaning against her husband’s chest.

“And hurting anyone,” Tony adds, turning away from the window. “Why would finding her be valuable?” He asks, staring at a calm Fury.

Fury doesn’t react. “She’s considered an innocent, and since she was directly targeted, she is SHIELD’s concern.”

“Why is she so important?” Bruce asks, removing his glasses. “For all we know she has nothing to offer the new SHIELD.”

Steve winces, looking away, and Natasha squeezes his hand reassuringly.

“Let’s just say she’s an asset,” Fury says.

“I would like to know the truth, Nicholas Fury,” Thor says coldly. “I have had enough of your lies.”

“She is as smart, if not smarter, than Stark,” Fury snaps. “HYDRA would do anything to have that. Now do you understand?”

Steve pales a little. “Another Stark?”

“She is extremely intelligent, and she’s in danger.” Fury says, avoiding Steve’s question.

“How could she be smarter than me?” Tony asks. “I thought I was the only genius in the US. She’d have to be related to me or something.”

“Sir, I believe I know where she could be,” JARVIS interrupts, drawing everyone’s attention away from Fury.

“Spill it,” Tony says, crossing his arms.

“I believe Captain Rogers found a lot of HYDRA’s secrets in New Jersey,” JARVIS says.

Steve straightens. “In my old training camp,” he whispers.

Fury whirls, making his coat fan out behind him. “Suit up. Let’s move.”

…

“I don’t think Tony would appreciate this,” I whisper, attaching a couple of wires.

“Well, if our plan is correct, it should only be enough to blow us out of here.” Bucky says calmly, turning with his back against the table as he watches me work.

“How are you going to go unnoticed?” I ask, eyeing the silver arm on my left. Yep, looks real inconspicuous.

Bucky grins. “What do you think is in the bag over there?”

I glance at it briefly. “Ok,” I concede. “But what if Stark gets here first?”

Bucky’s face hardens. “Let’s hope he doesn’t.”

The door opens, and Raza stops in front of me. “Az a nő?” _Is she working?_

Bucky nods. “Igen, uram. Van ötletek hogy ez több romboló hatású.” _Yes, sir. She has ideas about making it more destructive._

Raza nods. “A lány.” _Keep her working._

I look at them in confusion, unwilling to let them know how much I understand. “What is he saying?” I demand.

Raza smirks. “Ő nem tud, mint az apja. Ha ő nem tud tartani a száját, s halál fog érkezni.” _She is not as smart as her father. If she can't keep her mouth shut, her death will arrive early._ Turning to me, Raza smiles reassuringly. “Do not worry, Kylie Anderson.” He says, his eyes dark. “You will go home soon.”


	3. THREE

“Hey, Bucky?” I ask, working on our tiny bomb.

Bucky snaps his attention from my bomb to me. “What?”

I hesitate, biting my lip. “About what Raza said… why did he say I wasn’t as smart as my father?” I ask, looking up at him. “I thought Stark was the only person who fought back.”

Bucky’s gaze doesn’t waver. “You knew what we were saying?” He asks calmly.

“Answer the question.”

Bucky sighs. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

I narrow my eyes. “Try me.”

Bucky sighs. “What do you know about your father?”

I blink, off-guard. “Um… He slept with my mom when they were drunk, he disappeared, and she left.”

Bucky tilts his head. “And who does that sound like?”

I go still. “No way,” I whisper. “That’s not possible.”

Bucky grabs a file sitting on his table and hands it to me. “Believe me, it is.”

I stare in horror at the paternity test, but I force myself to snap it shut and shove it back. “It doesn’t matter.”

“He’s the reason you’re a genius.” Bucky says, his eyes full of pity. “That’s why Raza wants you.”

I look up at him. “Does Tony know?” I ask emotionlessly.

Bucky shakes his head. “Not that I know of. As far as I saw, no one knows why you’re here or why Raza thinks you’re useful.”

I shut my eyes and bite my lip hard enough to draw blood. “That’s why he tried to bargain with me. My life for a suit.” I bark out a humorless laugh. “Wow. Love learning how much I’m worth.”   
Clenching my jaw, I pick up the bomb and continue working. “Tell Raza I have a little surprise for him. I’ll call him when he’s ready.”

Bucky doesn’t move. “What are you going to do?”

“Don’t worry,” I say, not looking up. “I’ll take you to Steve Rogers.”

“And you?”

I yank on a stray part, making it snap in half. “Once you’re returned to Steve, I’ll disappear.”

…

“Nyissa ki az ajtót!” Open the door! “Most rögtön!” _Open it now!_

My eyes widen as Bucky and I spin towards the door. “What’s he doing here?” I hiss.

“Nyissa ki az ajtót!” Raza yells again.

“Egy pillanatra!” One minute! Bucky grabs my arm gently. “How ready is the bomb?” He whispers frantically.

“It’s not stabilized,” I whisper back fearfully. “If he breathes wrong we all die.”

“Jövünk!” _We’re coming in!_

“That might not be a bad thing,” Bucky says, grabbing a couple of hoodies from his bag and tossing one at me. “Whenever you’re ready.”

I quickly shove on the hoodie and grab my unstable bomb, tossing it at the door before the world goes dark.

…

“This is where you were trained?” Tony asks, glancing out the window. “It’s very… rustic.”

“Nice save,” Nat says dryly, focusing on flying the plane.

“How do you know she’s even here?” Clint asks, grabbing extra arrows. “JARVIS could have the wrong information.”

“HYDRA isn’t exactly known for being original,” Steve says calmly, easily switching into Captain America mode.

“Obviously,” Tony scoffs, actually riding in the plane for once. “I mean, hello, stealing the super soldier serum? No offense Steve, but it’s already been used. On you.”

Bruce rolls his eyes. “A lot of countries would benefit from having the serum,” Bruce chides.

“No one touches him,” Nat says coldly.

“Of course not,” Clint says meekly. “How do we know where they are?”

“JARVIS is hacking the mainframe.” Tony says calmly.

Suddenly a loud explosion snatches their attention, making Nat tilt the plane to keep the shock waves from blowing them away.

“Or that,” Clint says blandly.

“Or that,” Tony agrees, sliding the mask on his face. “Let’s roll.”

…

“Move!” Bucky hisses, resting a hand on my back to propel me forward. “We have about five minutes before they reach us, and I’d like to be far away when they do.”

“Excuse me for having my legs knocked out from under me!” I hiss irritably. Like I can control whether the shock waves knock me down. Jeez.

“Just keep walking,” Bucky says, grabbing my hood and lowering it on my head so my face is protected. “Reaching a small window in five. You crawl out first, then start running. I’ll catch up.”

“Or you could just let me help.” A voice says from behind me. Bucky and I whirl around, and freaking Captain America is grinning at Bucky. “Hey, Buck.”

“Steve,” Bucky whispers, looking like he’s seen a ghost.

“Two minutes,” I point out meekly, feeling bad for interrupting their whole bromance moment.

Bucky snaps out of it. “Out the window and run. Do you want me to find you a place?”

I shake my head. “I’m good. I’ll see you later.”

“Wait,” Steve says, making me freeze. “Director Fury will want to debrief you.”

“Oh, goody,” I mutter under my breath. “Yeah, sorry, staying isn’t really my style.”

“We noticed.” Tony says, stopping behind Steve. “I brought you fun stuff.” He says, handing Steve The Folder.

I meet Bucky’s eyes as Steve opens the file. “What is this?” Steve asks quietly, looking at Bucky while Tony reads over the file.

I snatch it quickly and rip it in half. “Not important,” I snap, letting the pieces fall.

Steve’s eyes narrow. “I think this is pretty important.”

“If you drop it, I’ll go in for interrogation without escaping,” I promise. “Just drop it. Forget what you saw.”

“What did he see?” Tony demands.

I keep my eyes locked on Steve’s, and he finally sighs. “Nothing,” he says finally. “Let’s get out of here.”

…

“How long have you known?” I ask Fury, knowing it isn’t being monitored. No signs of bugs or cameras anywhere.

Fury stops in front of me. “Since you were born,” he says calmly.

I nod to myself. “Does he have any idea?”

Fury shakes his head slightly. “No. The last thing we need is for Stark’s panic attacks to return.”

I sigh, looking at him calmly. “What do you want me to do?”

“What were you going to do?”

I shrug. “Disappear. Drop off the grid and try to go unnoticed.”

“I think we’re a little beyond that point.” Fury studies me carefully. “I think staying with Stark would be in your best interest.”

I swallow a lump in my throat. “You’re going to tell him?”

“No,” Fury says, stopping at the door. “As far as Stark’s concerned, you don’t exist.”

…

“We can’t tell Stark,” Natasha says, determined.

“Of course not,” Steve says, rubbing the back of his neck. “We need to protect her identity.”

Natasha nods. “Do we just leave it with us, or let the others know so they can help?”

Steve shrugs helplessly. “I have no idea. Maybe?” Steve drops next to his wife on the sofa. “I can’t believe how involved she is. I mean, I guess it’s expected, with her being a Stark, but-”

“Stop,” Nat says, resting a hand on his arm. “Don’t stress yourself out about it now, ok? We’ll figure it out.”

Steve nods slowly before drawing his wife closer, kissing her gently on her lips. “Ok,”


	4. FOUR

When Tony opened the door to the lab, he went completely still and stared at me as if I was a figment of his imagination.

I can live with that.

Then he proceeded to call a meeting and told Fury that if he didn’t come and explain himself, he’d find his eye patch shoved in a very unpleasant place. Which was pretty funny, but Tony’s death   
glare made me shut up pretty quickly.

That I wasn’t ok with.

I cross my arms in irritation as Fury calmly strides into the room, silently observing everyone piled into the living room. “Is there a problem, Mr. Stark?” Fury asks calmly.

Tony points at me angrily. “Why the hell was she in my lab?” He fumes.

Fury looks at me sharply. “I thought I told you to stay in your room.”

“Why is she in my tower?” Tony demands.

I slowly turn and look at him blandly. “Ouch.”

Steve shoots me a pitiful look, and I send him a sharp glare. Don’t even think about it, buddy.

“I believe we all have a right to know why Lady-” Thor cuts himself off, glancing at me curiously.

“Kylie,” I say, grinning.

“Lady Kylie is here,” Thor finishes, smiling cheerfully back.

Tony snaps his fingers impatiently. “Focus,” He says, his voice thick with irritation.

“That’s enough,” Fury says coldly, making everyone go still. “Kylie is here under the protection of SHIELD. There is no safer place on earth for her than here.”

“Why here?” Tony demands.

Fury turns the full force of his fury at Tony. “She was captured by Raza, only this time with the aid of HYDRA. Put two and two together.”

Tony pales. “Raza? As in the leader of the Ten Rings? I thought Obadiah killed him.”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t sound so surprised. You know how they work. The only difference is they didn’t ask me to obey before trying to drown me.”

Tony looks a strange mix of horrified and calculating. “Water?”

I swallow and look away. “Yeah. And the Jericho Missile.”

Tony rubs a hand down his face and turns to look out the window.

“What is she talking about?” Bruce asks. “Tony?”

Tony tenses.

“They’re trying to rebuild the Jericho Missile,” I say, crossing my arms. “When they were forcing Tony, they held him under water and almost drowned him. They did the same to me, except this time they’re going to attack the Tower.”

“How much did you finish?” Natasha asks calmly.

I grin. “All I did was build an instable bomb that possibly killed Raza and set Bucky and I free.”

Bucky freezes as he steps inside the living room, looking terrified with all of the attention. “Kylie? I thought you were dropping off of the grid?”

I give Fury a dirty look. “So did I.”

Fury ignores me. “She’s staying here until further notice.”

Tony turns and stares at me, and I take a subconscious step back. He just nods once, confirming whatever the heck he was trying to prove. “I know what you can do,” Tony muses, crossing his arms.

I cross my arms too, sending him a dark look. “What?”

“Since you seem so partial for my lab, you can help me with my projects.” Tony says, smirking.

I narrow my eyes at him. “Why?”

From the corner of my eye I see Natasha whisper something to Clint, and then he stares at me with his jaw dropped.

“Problem?” I snap.

Clint snaps his mouth shut and shakes his head. “I need to talk to Bruce and Thor,” he says, standing and gesturing for them to follow with a jerk of his head. Frowning, Bruce rises and follows,   
and Thor just smiles happily.

I will never understand Thor.

“I can train you too,” Steve offers, wrapping arms around Natasha’s waist. “You need to know how to protect yourself if HYDRA’s after you.”

I eye him warily, but I nod anyway, seeing the relief wash over his face. “When can we start?” I ask, not wanting to be near Tony any longer than necessary.

Natasha rises gracefully from Steve’s lap, her smile gentle. “Now.”

…

“Oof,” I huff, my back smacking into the mat and the air leaving my lungs. Steve winces a little, offering his hand, and I let him tug me up.

“Sorry,” Steve says, looking a little guilty.

“It’s fine,” I say, waving it off. “I’ve felt worse.”

That didn’t cheer him up.

The elevator door opens, and Tony and Nat walk in.

“Again,” Steve orders, entering a fighting stance.

I sigh before going back into stance. Yes Steve, I totally stand a chance against a giant super soldier. Absolutely.

“Ready?” He asks, his fists tightening.

No. “Yeah, no problem,” I answer, shifting slightly.

Steve grins, and then he lunges.

I duck and aim a punch to his abs, but he catches my wrist and twists, making me hiss. I hook my foot around his ankle and yank, making him stumble back and freeing my wrist in the process. I back up a bit, waiting for his next move, and his eyes get that mischievous glint to them.

Uh oh.

He feigns to the left, and I spin towards the right, having to dart forward to dodge a grab. I send him a glare, and he just grins.

Ok, smart ass.

I dart forward, dodging a grab and letting him catch my wrist. I aim another fist, letting him catch that one too, and swing my knee up.

Steve jerks his hips back.

Grinning, I knock his legs out from under him, and he drags me down, trapping me in his arms.

“Hey, I knocked you down!” I protest, trying to fight free.

Steve chuckles a little. “You played dirty.”

“Technically I didn’t,” I point out.

“Point to Kylie,” Nat says, grinning. “Let her go, Steve,”

Steve lets me go, and I scramble to my feet. He sends me a playful glare, and I stick my tongue out at him, making him laugh. “Next time,” Steve warns, a smile not leaving his face.

I roll my eyes. “Sure, Steve.”

Tony looks between us with a strange expression on his face, as if he’s trying to piece something together.

“Problem?” Steve asks, raising his eyebrows.

Tony snaps out of it, staring at me a little too closely for my liking. Almost as if he knows my secret…

“You’re pretty impressive,” Natasha comments, her eyes actually warm.

“Thank you, Agent Romanov,” I say, nodding.

She grins. “Call me Nat,”

Suddenly it clicks that she knows, and I raise my eyebrows at Steve.

He shrugs. “I had to tell my wife.”

“Not that I wouldn’t have figured it out anyway,” Nat adds, grinning at him. He smiles back, and I exaggerate a gag at the lovebirds.

“I know, right?” Tony says, stopping next to me and crossing his arms. “So what do they know that I don’t?”

Against my will my muscles tense. “If it was something you needed to know, I would have told you by now.”

“Really?” He asks, turning fully to face me. “Then why do I feel like I’m the only one not allowed to know?”

I swallow and force myself to break his gaze, glancing at Steve and Nat clearly flirting.

Tony steps somehow closer, his eyes hardened and his face determined. “I don’t know what game you and Fury are trying to play, but I will find out. And you’re going to wish you had told me to begin with.”

Then he turns and walks away.

As if nothing ever happened.


	5. FIVE

I cross my arms and glare at the crew around me. “JARVIS, has Tony been locked out?”

“Yes, Miss Anderson,” JARVIS answers calmly.

“And he’s unable to know what we’re talking about?”

“Yes, Miss Anderson.”

“Good,” I nod once before continuing to glare at the motley crew in front of me. “I assume all of you know?” I ask calmly.

Natasha nods as everyone else looks away nervously. “I didn’t want to risk someone telling Stark.”

I nod. “Makes sense. Except now he wants to know the secret and is probably going to dig through the files to get answers.”

Clint winces. “I could break the computer if you want,” he offers.

My lips twitch. “The goal is to keep it from him, not convince him to kill us,”

“That’d be smart,” Tony says from over the intercom.

“JARVIS!” I snap.

“I am sorry, Miss Anderson. You only requested the lockdown. When you said he couldn’t know what was discussed, I assumed you meant me telling him.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “What part of ‘confidential’ made you think it was ok for him to spy on us?”

“You didn’t exactly specify,” JARVIS comments dryly.

I’m going to kill JARVIS.

“I thought you were on our side!” Clint protests, tilting his head way back to talk to the ceiling.

“I am on the side that has Sir’s best interest in mind,” JARVIS asks smoothly.

“I think if we thought it was in his best interest, we would have said something.” Steve says dryly.

“I wouldn’t have,” I mutter.

“Which is why I had to do this,” Tony says, stepping inside the room. “You can’t say it isn’t smart.”

“Everyone calm down,” Steve says, using his Cap voice. “We haven’t told you because it could be extremely dangerous. Once you know, you can’t forget about it. Everything will change.”

“Don’t I have the right to decide?” Tony demands, giving Steve a cold look.

“Enough!” I snap, drawing everyone’s attention. “Everyone needs to just shut up! Let me think!”

“Who put you in charge?” Tony scoffs.

“Sir, DNA analysis is complete,” JARIVS says, cutting everyone off. A screen appears in front of us, and I pale as my baby picture from the hospital appears. “Kylie Jane Anderson. Born May 5, 1998.   
Mother is Sharon Carter, niece of Margret “Peggy” Carter. Father-”

“JARVIS, wait!” I call a little desperately.

“- You are the father, sir,” JARVIS says casually.

We all know what happens next.

…

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Bucky says, glancing at my face as I attack the punching bag. “I thought she would have told you her ties to Steve.”

“I didn’t even know her real name,” I grunt, punching the bag so hard I feel some skin peel off, making me hiss in pain. “My mother was Jessica Anderson. She will always be Jessica Anderson.”

“Well, her real name was Sharon Carter, she was Peggy’s niece, and she knew Steve decently.” Bucky says, his hand darting out and stopping me from attacking the bag some more. “I know it’s   
hard, but imagine it from Steve and Tony’s point of view.”

“You’re right,” I say casually, pulling out of his grip. “Tony has a bastard daughter, and Steve happens to have liked said bastard child’s great aunt. So much fun.” I go back to attacking the bag.

“Bucky, Sir has requested a meeting with you and Captain Rogers,” JARVIS says calmly.

Bucky sighs, watching me. “Send Nat in here, and I’ll go once she’s arrived.”

Barely a second later JARVIS replies. “Agent Romanoff is on her way.”

“Wouldn’t she be Agent Rogers?” I ask, stopping my punching. If you want to distract me, say something that won’t make sense to me.

“Yes, but Natasha told everyone to keep calling her Agent Romanoff.”

“To protect Steve,” I finish. Bucky nods, and I sigh, turning back to the bag. “You can go ahead. I’ll wait for Nat.”

“Already here,” Natasha says, calmly sweeping in. “Go ahead, Buck.”

Bucky sends her a grateful smile before walking away, sending me a sidelong glance. I know he’s worried, but some things need to be dealt with alone before adding anyone else.

“I’d be careful if I were you,” Natasha says, crossing her arms and watching me. “Your technique is excellent, but you’ll probably infect those cuts on your fists.”

I go still. “You think my technique’s good?” I ask a little warily.

Natasha grins. “Of course. Reminds me of me when I was your age.” She tilts her head. “Would you be willing to let Bruce look at your hands? After a shower?”

I shrug. “I guess.”

“And then maybe we can watch a movie or something,” Nat suggests with a grin.

I finally turn to look at her. “I appreciate the distraction, but they don’t usually work until I completely understand.”

Natasha sets her face in determination. “Then we’ll dig through files until you feel better. You don’t have to go through this alone, Kylie.”

I hesitate. “I know,” I say quietly. “It’s just easier to right now, especially since I’m probably going to be kicked out in a little while.”

Natasha shakes her head slowly. “I’m not going to let that happen. Everyone on this team is more than ready to defend you.”

I sigh. “JARVIS, is Tony planning on kicking me out?”

“I can’t say, Miss,” JARVIS says calmly. “He is planning on leaving tonight, if that is any help.”

“It is, thanks,” I say, raising an eyebrow at Nat. “See? He doesn’t want me near him.”

Natasha frowns. “He’s been planning on spending the summer there… he could just be going on vacation.”

I laugh humorlessly. “I doubt it. Nice try though.”

Nat winces. “Kylie-”

“I’m going to take a shower,” I say bluntly, stepping into the elevator and turning to face her. “I’ll meet you in Bruce’s lab.”

…

I slowly peel my eyes open, not used to the big, comfy bed, or the view of the early morning sun making the waves sparkle.

Wait, what?

I jerk upright to see an empty beach, sparkling water, and absolutely nothing else.

Toto, I think we aren’t in New York anymore.

“JARVIS?” I call nervously.

“Yes, Miss Kylie?” JARVIS asks instantly.

“Where am I?” I ask shakily.

“You’re in Sir’s Malibu home,” JARVIS says calmly.

“And how did I get here?” I ask.

Someone knocks on the door, and Pepper Potts looks at me calmly. “I can answer that,” she says calmly. “Tony thought I’d be a good idea to drug you and drag you to Malibu with us. I think he   
could’ve done it without drugging you, but he didn’t exactly ask.”

I wince. “Sorry, Miss Potts.”

Pepper softens. “Just call me Pepper,” she says, smiling warmly. “Did you sleep well?”

“Like the dead,” I quip, shoving off the covers to find myself in the clothes from yesterday. “How’d I get in bed?”

“Tony carried you,” Pepper says, crossing her arms. “Something about being ridiculously light.”

Well, I was just kidnapped. “Huh,” I mutter, staring out the window.

“I told him you’d just been kidnapped,” Pepper adds. “He shut up pretty quickly after that.”

I bite my lip. “You’re awful nice to me for someone who’s just found out her boyfriend has a bastard child.”

“There is nothing wrong with being an unplanned pregnancy.” Pepper corrects. “Besides, it’s not your fault. I’m mostly grateful your mother decided to keep you.”

I give her a calculating look. “Why?”

“You look just like your father,” Pepper mutters under her breath. “You’re not my daughter, but I have nothing against you. I had a feeling you were when I first saw the video from Raza.”

My blood goes cold. “You saw the video?” I whisper.

Pepper winces. “It was kind of leaked from HYDRA onto the internet.”

Oh, fabulous. “I need to get out of here,” I mutter, searching for a bag. I can stock some food in here and make it out just fine.

“Please don’t,” Pepper says, shifting forward slightly as if to stop me. “I’d appreciate you staying.”

“Why?” I ask, still searching. “I can take care of myself. You and Tony are free of all charges and all that crap.”

“We want to help,” Pepper blurts.

I freeze. “What?”

Pepper bites her lip. “Tony wants to get to know you better- so do I- but we think it’s important to make sure you want to stay here.”

I raise an eyebrow at her. “So he’s all hunky-dory about having a kid appear from freaking nowhere? Somehow I find that hard to believe.”

“Not exactly,” Pepper gives, making me snort. “Trust me, he wants to talk to you.”

“Sure, to cuss me out,” I mutter. “Fine. But if it goes to crap, you can’t stop me from leaving. Comprende?”

Pepper relaxes a little. “Deal. He’s ready when you are.”

I groan, rubbing my eyes. “Give me five.”


	6. SIX

“You suck,” I say, dropping onto the stool in Tony’s kitchen, which happens to be in front of a gorgeous island. Probably granite or something fancy like that.

Tony glances up with raised eyebrows from the other side, making a bowl of Reese Puffs. “That’s rude.”

“So are you,” I retort, oblivious to Pepper’s warning glare. “Kidnapping me to Malibu? Really?”

“Normally people to who go on a surprise visit to Malibu are happy,” Tony mutters, putting milk in his bowl. “Hungry?”

“No.” I mutter. My stomach growls unhelpfully, and I frantically cross my arms as Tony shoots me a knowing look. “We need to talk,” I demand, trying to change topics.

“Food first,” Pepper chides, grabbing me a bowl. “You’re practically drooling.”

“I can wait,” I protest, ignoring Pepper’s death glare. “Why did you feel the need to drug me in order to bring me with you?”

Tony chokes a little. “How did you know about that?” He demands with a glare.

I smirk. “I have my ways,” I muse, ignoring how Pepper’s muscles relax. “You were giving me an answer?”

Tony’s eyes narrow as he sets his bowl aside. “Would you have come with us if I’d asked?”

“No,” I scoff, rolling my eyes.

“Exactly,” He says, crossing his arms. “We have a lot to talk about. I don’t want to have to chase you around.”

I roll my eyes. “I take it you want a paternity test?”

“JARVIS already handled that,” Tony says, studying me carefully. “Funny, you act a lot like her,”

I send him a dirty look. “You used her for one night. You can’t honestly say I’m like her.”

“I also worked with her for years,” Tony adds. “She may not have spoken to me, but I’ve had to work near her for a while.”

“So you watched her like some sort of stalker,” I deadpan.

Tony glares at me. “I watch everyone. If there’s a mole, I find it first.”

I choose to ignore him. “You have no right to act like you knew my mother.”

“Do you?” Tony asks, his eyes burning with anger. “You didn’t even know her real name. How do you know she wasn’t lying to you the whole time?”

I shut down, immediately cutting off all emotions as regret flashes over Tony’s face. “I’m going back to New York,” I say emotionlessly, standing from my stool and feeling a thousand miles away.

“No you’re not,” Tony says coldly.

“You can’t tell me what to do,” I snap, heading towards the elevator. “JARVIS, take me to the garage,”

“JARVIS, hold that elevator!” Tony yells.

“JARVIS, if you try to stop me I will completely shut you down!” I snap.

“Miss Stark, I really don’t think-”

“Now!” I bark furiously.

“I’m calling Fury!” Tony yells, snagging his cell phone as I step inside.

“Go ahead!” I snap. The doors shut, and I take a deep breath. “JARVIS, please take me to the garage,” I say quietly.

“Yes, Miss Stark,” JARVIS answers calmly. “I assume you wish to keep the vehicle you took away from Sir?”

“Yes, please,” I hesitate. “Sorry, JARVIS. It’s not your fault.” That my father’s an asshole.

“It’s quite alright, Miss Stark,” JARVIS answers smoothly. “I believe you would have only removed me from the system temporarily.”

I wince. “Probably.”

The elevator door opens. “Travel safely, Miss Stark,”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” I say, allowing myself a small smile.

…

I let myself speed down the road, going at least twice the speed limit as tears slip down my cheeks. I have no right to cry; he’s right. I didn’t know my mother. I didn’t even know her name.

But he didn’t either, observing or not. He may have had to deal with her, but watching people only teaches you so much about the person.

Of course, she probably would have trusted you more if you hadn’t kept getting in trouble, my mind whispers darkly. If you hadn’t kept getting in trouble, Mom would have trusted you. Then   
maybe she would still be alive and you wouldn’t have had to meet Tony at all.

The tears come harder, and I furiously swipe my eyes. I’m going to get to New York, plant the car outside some hotel, and use what little money I have to buy clothes.

Before I slam on the brakes the light turns green, so I keep going, trying to figure out my next move.

I’m not sure what happens next.

Everything seems to slow down as I glance out my window. The car tries to slam on its brakes, but it’s too late.

Everything goes dark, and my last thought is of making the pain stop.

…

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

I groan, peeling my eyes open and wincing at how bright and white it is. I smell the familiar doctor smell, and I realize with a groan that I’m in the freaking hospital.

Fabulous.

A little sluggishly, I force myself to sit up, rubbing the bridge of my nose and fighting the agonizing wave that threatens to knock me right back down.

_What the heck did I do?_

I glance down to see one of my least favorite things- casts. On my left arm, specifically. There are bandages over my bruised ribs, a brace around my left ankle, and honestly I’m impressed I don’t   
have a big ugly cast around my neck.

Right. I hit a car.

“She was going at least 100 in a 45 zone,” A man says outside my door. “Legally she should be arrested.”

“She only went that fast because she was upset,” A familiar male voice says. “Tell me what to pay to keep her out of jail.”

I hear a piece of paper rip. “Here’s the fine. Luckily she’s only getting a speeding ticket since the accident wasn’t her fault.”

“Thank you, Officer,” That familiar voice says calmly.

“How is she?” A familiar woman’s voice asks.

Another voice sighs. “She’s lucky she got away with only one break. Otherwise she only has some sprains and bruises. If she had been hit any differently-”

“Thank you, Doctor Wiliams,” The woman cuts in. “How many reporters are outside?”

“I don’t know,” The officer sighs. “Maybe twenty?”

“I’m not quite sure how they knew she’d be here.” The doctor says casually. Probably lying. “If I figure out who told, I’ll be sure to tell you.”

“I’m sure you will,” The male voice says coldly. Seriously, where do I know him from? “If the press finds out before I’m ready to tell them, you can kiss your job goodbye.”

“Well, if it’s true, we’ll make sure to give her the best care possible.” The doctor says easily. “Is it true?”

The voice sighs in irritation. “Yes, it’s true, and if you don’t help my daughter, your ass is mine.”


	7. SEVENteen

“Ow,” I hiss, trying to shift in this stupid hospital bed.

“Stop moving!” Pepper orders worriedly. “You could hurt something else!”

“Story of my life,” I mutter under my breath. “Is he just gonna hide outside all day?” I ask, glaring at the door.

Pepper sighs wearily. “He’s trying to make sure this doesn’t hit the media.”

I raise an eyebrow. “And how’s that working out for him?”

Pepper sighs at her phone. “You’re trending.”

Fabulous.

I sigh and slowly ease myself back. If I have to be in here until stupid out there is content, I’m going to sleep.

Or pretend to.

I sigh and mimic my breathing to a sleeping one. Hopefully I can get some information on how to get the heck out of here, especially since Daddy Dearest hasn’t even seen me since I woke up.

Only Pepper.

I hear footsteps stop near where Pepper sits next to me, and a sigh as someone sits down tells me I’m stuck here for a while. Damn, I was hoping Pepper would go to the bathroom or something   
so I could escape.

“How is she?” Tony asks casually. I feel the weight of his stare, and I force my muscles to stay relaxed.

Pepper sighs. “Annoyed. She wants to leave.”

“I don’t blame her, but we need to make sure she’s ok.”

“She isn’t,” Pepper says gently. “She’s probably waiting to run away again. You need to just talk to her.”

“She won’t listen,” Tony says coldly. “And she’s already awake. Right, Kylie?” A hand lands on my arm, and I flinch a little before opening my eyes. Tony’s leaned over so we’re making eye contact, and he leans back against the chair smoothly. “You can’t fool me.”

I sigh wearily before scooting myself up, wincing as it jostles my ribs. “If you wanna talk, talk.” I gesture as if handing him the floor.

Tony sends me a little glare before sighing. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Ok…?”

Tony rolls his eyes. “I’m trying to be serious.”

“Never said you weren’t,” I reply in a perfect monotone. “Continue,”

“I do want to help you,” Tony says, meeting my eyes unflinchingly. “I don’t know what went on before, but I want to help as much as I can.”

“You can’t,” I say coldly. “It would’ve been better if you’d never found out.”

“If I hadn’t, you’d be an orphan,” Tony says calmly, not even flinching. Seriously, does this man show any emotion? “I screwed up. I can admit that. But there’s a hell of a lot more to what happened between me and you mother, things you wouldn’t even consider to be an option.”

“Like what?” I ask.

“Well first of all, she wasn’t drunk.”

I stare at him. “You’re right. I don’t consider that as an option.”

Tony’s lips twitch a little. “She was very persuasive. Obviously that was before Pepper…” he trails off, remembering she’s in the room, and she nods at him to continue. “Anyway, when I woke up she was gone. After I joined SHIELD Fury told me that she only slept with me to get some of my blueprints for something I was working on,”

I swallow thickly. “What was it?” I ask quietly.

Tony waves it off. “Hell if I know. Maybe the helicarrier? Anyway, I was obviously pissed, so I went to talk to her.” Tony laughs once bitterly. “She said I was easy to play. I went and got drunk, slept around, trying to forget. For the most part I did, besides seeing her at work and her occasionally rushing off to pick up her daughter.” He eyes me. “We’re gonna talk about that, too.”

I shrug, fighting around the constant ache in my ribs.

“If I had known you were mine…” Tony shakes his head. “Back then I would’ve denied it and sued her, but now… I would’ve done something.”

“It wouldn’t have mattered,” I say, toying with the blanket on my lap. “It probably would’ve made things worse.”

Tony keeps staring at me until I finally meet his gaze. “You’re pretty interesting,” Tony muses. “A lot like her.”

Pepper snorts. “And a hell of a lot like you.”

Tony sends Pepper a glare, and I choke back a laugh, earning myself a similar glare. “Anyway,” he drags out. “You’re stuck with me now.”

I sigh. “I don’t really trust people.”

“Not that I blame you after the HYDRA mess, but we’ll be living in the tower most of the time. You’ll be protected.”

“I mean in general,” I say, meeting his eyes. “I have no reason to trust or believe anyone. Who’s to say you won’t leave me here and continue living it up in New York?”

“I wouldn’t let him,” Pepper cuts in. “I think it’ll be good for him to grow up a little.”

“Excuse you,” Tony says, offended. “Why would I need to that?”

Pepper just sends him a look. “You go to school in New York, right?” Pepper asks, addressing me.

I sigh wearily. “Unfortunately.”

Tony looks at me curiously. “You don’t like school?”

“I don’t like the people,” I correct. “As in the people who think me being in all AP classes is weird.”

Tony snorts. “Try graduating from college at your age.”

“I take it I’m going back in the fall?” I ask blandly.

Pepper sends me a mom look. “Yes.”

“Yay.” Or not.

Tony rolls his eyes. “Fury should be here soon.”

“Or me,” A familiar voice says, and I perk up to see Nat leaning against the doorway.

“Nat!” I say happily.

“And me,” Steve says, poking his head around the corner. “Hello, Kylie.”

“Hi Steve,” I say, offering a smile. I pretty much dismiss him and focus on Nat, moving my legs so she has room to sit down.

“That’s it?” Steve asks, crossing his arms and letting Nat wrap an arm around his waist. “My list of things I need revenge for is growing.”

I stick my tongue out at him, which he returns, and I laugh. “How’s Bucky?”

Everyone suddenly falls silent.

“Guys?” I ask nervously.

Steve finally looks back at me, eyes a little red. “They found him. They took him away. I don’t know where he is.”


	8. EIGHT

I wince as I ease myself into the back of a SHIELD car between Pepper and Tony, my ribs still a little sore for the rough flight. We are now officially in New York, thanks to Tony’s private jet. My wrist will stay in a cast for a while, but my ankle has healed enough that I can take the brace off. “Where to?” I ask, focusing through the pain as Steve and Natasha slide in front of me.

“Avengers Tower,” Steve says calmly, wrapping an arm around Nat’s waist. “Fury wants to debrief you, and you might be able to help find Bucky.”

“Absolutely not,” Tony says coldly. “If you let her help, she’ll try to go with you, and I won’t risk putting my daughter in danger.”

“Like you care,” I retort. “What would I be able to do?”

Steve grins. “There are still some computers in the old building HYDRA cleared out, but they left the computers blank.”

I nod slowly. “You think I can find their main base.”

Steve nods once. “That’s where they’d have Bucky.”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Tony demands. “She’s not doing anything.”

“It doesn’t matter. If Fury tells me to do it, I’ll do it, if only to keep everyone safe. Besides, I wouldn’t go in unless someone was in trouble. I can’t really do anything with this,” I say, gesturing to my arm.

Tony glares at me, but he keeps his mouth shut.

“Would you be able to get in?” Steve asks, looking at me seriously.

I nod once. “It shouldn’t be much harder than hacking into SHIELD.”

Steve nods back, relaxing. “Thank you,” he says, his voice breaking a little at the end. “I- thank you.”

I offer a weak smile. “Anytime.”

Tony huffs angrily. “Fine. But there will be rules,” Tony says, attempting the parent voice.

It doesn’t work on him. “Aren’t there always?” I mutter sarcastically.

Tony sends me a dark glare. “Is this really how to treat people who made sure you were safe?”

“I wouldn’t know,” I say honestly. “Never had anyone besides Mom.”

Pepper leans forward, concern etched on her face. “Just you and Sharon? No other relatives?”

I shrug. “Sometimes we’d visit my great grandmother, but…” I trail off. They know Peggy died about a week ago. “Yeah, we were alone.”

“Is that why you got yourself into so much trouble?” Tony asks, sending me a dad look. “I saw your record.”

I wince. “I didn’t mean to get myself in trouble. I wasn’t really trying to find SHIELD secrets, or hack into the Pentagon-”

“You hacked into the Pentagon?” Steve asks, an eyebrow raised.

I blink at him. “Yeah,” I drag out, still staring at him like he’s insane.

Tony rubs the bridge on his nose. “We need to talk.”

“Well, we did just get here,” Steve says, gesturing out the window. “She should be clear after she’s been debriefed.”

Tony nods, eying me carefully. “Find me after you’re debriefed. We have a lot to talk about.”

…

When Fury walks into the briefing room, he stares at me for a long moment before sighing. “What happened?”

I wince. “I fought with Tony. It didn’t turn out so hot.”

“I can see that,” He says, glancing at my cast. “According to the news you’re lucky to be alive.”

My stomach drops. “I’m on the news?” I whisper.

Fury nods calmly. “Everyone’s interested in Tony Stark’s daughter. I’m only concerned that HYDRA will use it to find you.”

I nod absently. I can only imagine how awful those reporters are making the situation. Not that they’re wrong to think I’m ruining Tony’s life, because I kind of am, which it totally his fault for not   
letting me leave-

“Kylie!” Fury snaps, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“What?” I ask, my eyes wide.

Fury takes an irritated breath. “As Steve told you, we could use your help finding the mainframe. You don’t need to do it now, but within a few days would be great.”

I nod once. “Understood.”

“Then go ahead,” Fury says, gesturing towards the door. “Stark is waiting for you outside.”

…

I bite my lip nervously, sitting on the couch as Tony pours a glass of scotch. I hear the ice clinking in his glass as he walks over, and I keep my stare on my lap as he makes himself comfortable   
on the chair in front of me.

I don’t say anything. Neither does he.

“How long?” Tony asks finally, breaking the silence.

My eyes dart up to him before going back to my hands. “How long what?”

“How long have you been getting into trouble?” He asks, taking a drink.

I don’t bother to look at him. “I’m pretty sure you already know.”

“Yes,” He concedes, shifting back- or I think he’s going back. I’m not too keen on checking. “But I want to hear it from you.”

“You want to test me,” I say emotionlessly. “Since I was about ten.”

“Why?”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “I stopped fitting in, so I got bored and decided to play on the computer. I accidentally hacked into some government files, but since I was a kid I got let off with a warning, especially since I didn’t get to read anything.”

Tony stays silent. “That’s impressive.”

I shrug. “I guess.”

“Kylie?”

“Yes?”

“Look at me.”

I flinch, forcing myself to meet his steady stare. “Yes?”

Tony doesn’t say anything for a long moment. “Her funeral is tomorrow.”

Just like that, he stabbed another knife into my chest. “Who?” I croak, knowing who it is but refusing to acknowledge it.

Tony keeps staring with that calculating look. “You know who,”

I swallow and stare at my lap. “Ok.”

“It starts at nine, so I need you to be up and dressed by eight. Pepper and I want to take you for breakfast first,” He says, refilling his glass.

My head jerks up. “You’re letting me go?”

Tony pauses with his drink close to his lips. “Yeah…?” He drags out, looking at me with raised eyebrows.

I force myself to take a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Why are you thanking me? You should go to your mother’s funeral.” He lowers his glass. “I couldn’t do much. I know it won’t help, but I got the best I could for food and the location.”

I stare at him again. “You did this?” I whisper shakily.

Tony nods, still frowning. “Actually, I probably shouldn’t have hired that one guy, he seemed a little shady the last time I got there-”

I didn’t care. I bolted from the couch and smacked into him with my arms tight around his waist. “Thank you,” I whisper shakily, muffled against his shirt. I feel a hesitant hand rest on the back of   
my head, and I freeze. I shouldn’t have done that.

“Sorry,” I blurt, darting for the elevator without looking at him.

“Kylie-”

The doors shut, and I wipe leftover tears away, trying to forget that they’re now on his shirt.

I get to see my mom one last time.


	9. NINE

“Miss Stark! Tell us what it’s like being the daughter of a billionaire!”

“Tony, tell us how it feels to have your life ruined by a sixteen year old!”

“Miss Potts, does this affect your decision to stay with Tony?”

Oh. My. Gosh. I have had enough.

“Shut up!” I snap, spinning on all of the reporters.

Everything goes so silent a pin could drop.

Taking a composing breath, I try again. “I’m sorry, but this is an extremely inappropriate   
time to ask these kinds of questions. We are going to a funeral. If you really want to know,   
Pepper will schedule a press conference.” I say firmly.

Everyone backs off, looking sheepish, and Tony wraps an arm around my shoulders and practically drags me outside.

“Slick,” he says, raising a hand for Happy to stop the car. Happy scrambles out to get the   
door, and Tony lets me go first. “But I don’t do press conferences.”

Pepper and I raise our eyebrows. “Wanna bet?” She asks.

Tony backs off pretty quickly. “Fine. But only because I love you.”

Pepper and I share a knowing look before falling into silence, them cuddling and   
whispering quietly enough so I can’t hear and me staring out the window absently. I finally decide to close my eyes and rest, knowing that they won’t say anything if I’m awake.

“…tell her.” Pepper whispers. “She deserves to know.”

“No,” Tony whispers back. “Let her deal with this first.”

“Do you think this is all it’s going to take for her to move on?” Pepper hisses. “I don’t know what it was like when your parents died, but from what I understand her mother is all she   
really has.”

“She has us,” Tony protests quietly. I sense him glance at me before going back to Pepper.

“No, she doesn’t,” Pepper says gently. “Not until she trusts us.”

True, but if she’s already figured that out then I need to be more careful. I’m only staying to help Bucky, and then I need to disappear again. Besides, this whole Yay-let’s-try thing isn’t exactly my forte. There wasn’t an actual decision.

A hand lands on my shoulder, and I slowly open my eyes and look at Tony.

“It’s time,” he says, looking sympathetic. “There are reporters all around the entrance. Are   
you ready?”

I nod, my emotions on lockdown like Mom taught me. “Let’s go.”

…

To be perfectly honest, the funeral is pretty pathetic. The food’s good, the venue’s nice,   
and Tony wasn’t kidding when he said he’d gotten the best money could buy. But the only   
people present are me, the Avengers, and Nick Fury. Maybe a couple of stray coworkers thrown in.

She’s buried near Peggy.

As everyone wanders outside, whispering about how I was so quiet and unresponsive, I take the opportunity to swipe my eyes, suddenly full of tears.

“Hey.”

I turn to see Steve and Nat standing, his arm around her waist as they look at me worriedly.

“Hi,” I say, blocking out emotion. “What’s up?”

They share a glance before Nat steps closer to me, briefly touching my arm. “How are you holding up?”

I shrug. “Trying not to think about it,” I say honestly. If I think about it, I’ll show weakness in front of people. I can’t be underestimated again.

Nat nods once. “I noticed you were trying not to show emotion. I’m not good at dealing with it, but if you need someone…”

Ah. “I’m fine, thanks,” I say, forcing a small smile.

Nat nods once.

Suddenly the floor shakes, and Steve knocks me and Nat to the ground as the church   
behind us explodes. He rolls off, staring at the building while Nat whips out a gun.

And I only stare.

Raza steps out from the smoke, flanked by two armed soldiers.

“Give us Kylie Stark,” He says loudly, looking out on the officers with guns- Fury included.   
“Give her to us peacefully, and some of you may be spared.”

Tony stands, and I notice his metal bracelet blinking. “There’s no way in hell you’re taking my daughter,” he says darkly.

Raza smirks. “That’s right, you realized she existed a few weeks ago, didn’t you? Did she tell you what we did to her? Who told her the truth?”

“Shut up!” I snap irritably. “Where’s Bucky?”

Raza tilts his head. “Sergeant Barnes? He’s alive. For now.”

“What did you do to him?” I demand a little shakily.

Raza grins darkly. “If you come with us, you’ll find out.”

“Now,” Steve says, and soon he’s dragging me to safety as Nat and the other agents shoot at him.

Then the armor flies in, and bullets mix with Iron Man’s fire, and then Raza releases a switch.

Uh oh.

“Bomb!” I yell, and everyone ducks just as the building explodes, leaving nothing but dust and rubble.

And an open man hole cover.

…

I sigh as I stare out the window, back in my old room in good ol’ NYC. I don’t know what   
Raza meant by trying to capture me, unless he wants his Jericho Missile, and knowing the   
Avengers was there means he’s up to something.

I just gotta figure out what it is…

There’s a knock on my door, and I turn around to see Tony standing there, looking a little worn. “How are you feeling?”

“Frustrated,” I turn and glare out the window.

Tony stops beside me. “We’ll find him, Kylie. I promise.”

I nod. “You bet we will. Raza’s up to something, and I need to know what it is.”

Tony tenses. “Don’t worry about Raza,” he warns. “You need to focus on finding Bucky.”

I turn to him. “But if we find both, we can stop him before he hurts anyone else. You can’t tell me that won’t help.”

“Of course it would help. But you need to worry about one thing at a time. Bucky is our top   
priority.”

I turn to look at him. “We may not have much of a choice.”

Tony’s gaze doesn’t waver. “Then I guess you’d better get started before this gets any messier.”


	10. TEN

I groan and rub my eyes, flopping myself back on the couch.

“Ready for a break?” Steve asks, poking my arm.

“If you ask me that one more time…” I lift up my arm and glare at him. “As I said the last fifty thousand times, I’ll tell you if I’m ready for a break.”

“Steve, leave her alone,” Nat says, rolling her eyes and hoisting him up by his bicep. Whether he helped or not I don’t wanna know.

Tony steps inside, eyes narrowing at us. “Why are you two always around her?”

Steve grins. “She’s fun to annoy,”

I send him a glare as Nat herds him towards the door. “Good luck Kylie,” she calls, shoving him inside.

I shake my head as Tony looks at me. “How’s it going?”

I groan, flopping back down.

“That good huh?” Tony drops next to me and puts the laptop on his legs. “Hey, you’re almost done. Do you want me to keep going while you breathe?”

I sigh, forcing myself back up. “It’s up to you.”

Tony’s already working. “Wow, you’ve pretty much done everything for me.”

I roll my eyes. “I thought I was doing it for Fury.”

“Hush!” Tony snaps, sending me a brief glare as he keeps typing. “We don’t talk about him here!”

I sigh, shaking my head. “Are you sure this is going to work? It’s been a while since I’ve hacked into anything.”

“Yeah, I really need to talk to you about that,” He says, still not even looking at me. “And it looks like you did everything perfectly, so you’re good.”

I nod, smacking my head against his shoulder. “Ow,” I mutter.

Tony hits one last key before setting the computer back. “Done, and the coordinates are sent.” He shoves me lightly, turning to face me once I’m up. “So let’s talk about this hacking thing.”

I sigh irritably. “I told you they were accidents.”

“Ok,” Tony says, nodding. “And how about your holding cell adventures?”

“Oh, they were just so awesome!” I say sarcastically, curling against the back of the couch. “I didn’t mean for those to happen either. It’s amazing what’s illegal in this country.”

Tony rolls his eyes. “No more breaking the law without permission.” He warns.

I raise an eyebrow. “Without permission?”

“You did just hack for Fury,” He points out.

Point taken.

“Fine,” I sigh exaggeratedly. “If I have to,”

Tony’s lips twitch despite his stern expression.

“Everyone to the quinjet,” Fury says over the intercom. “We have a lead on Sergeant Barnes.”

Tony sighs and stands. “Pepper’s in charge.”

I nod once. “Got it.” Tony heads towards the elevator. “Tony?”

He pauses, looking at me. “Yeah?”

I bite my lip. “Be careful.”

He grins a little. “Got it,”

Then the doors shut, Tony not glancing back once.

…

“You need to eat,” Pepper sighs, watching me toy with the food on my plate.

I sigh wearily. “I’m not hungry.” I push the plate back and stand. “I’m going to do the work the school left me.”

Pepper nods, looking dejected. “Call me if you need help,”

I don’t think she can help me with my homework, but I’ll leave it alone. I zone out during the ride up, and I drop on my bed and squeeze my eyes shut. I lied- I’ve already finished everything for school. I just can’t sit there and watch Pepper worry about me in an effort not to worry about Tony. It’s annoying.

I finally shove myself up and settle in the living room, curling against the arm and turning on the news only to see the headline, ‘Stark’s Daughter Ruining His Career?’.

“In other news, the speculation over Tony Stark’s daughter was put to rest yesterday when he was seen out with girlfriend Pepper Potts and a young girl. The girl was quickly recognized as his daughter, and she requested the questions to end until a later date because of her mother’s funeral.” The newswoman turns to her partner. “I have to say, Stark’s daughter seems a lot calmer and level-headed than he is.”

“She yelled at the reporters,” He says coldly. “I still think she’s ruining his life. He’s finally got a steady relationship, a better business role, and a solid head on his shoulders, but then his past comes back in the horrifying role of a child. It’s bound to ruin him.”

“Excellent point,” The woman says. “Let’s see what happens next week during the press conference.”

I quickly click the TV off, wiping my eyes, but water keeps coming out, so I finally just curl up and drift to sleep, praying they find Bucky soon so I can escape.

…

“Good job everybody,” Tony jokes, leading the way to the common room. “Let’s take a day off tomorrow.”

Steve nods. “Goodnight,” He calls, wrapping an arm around Nat’s waist and leading her away. Bucky nods at everyone, exhaustion lining his face as he stumbles after them clumsily. Thor left after the mission to visit Jane, and Bruce nods before heading to his own floor.

Tony sags, releasing a deep breath as he’s finally left alone. “JARVIS, where’s Pepper?”

“Miss Potts is in your living room,” JARVIS answers instantly.

“And Kylie?”

JARVIS pauses. “She fell asleep in her living room. She had been watching a news report regarding her recent involvement in your life.”

Ton freezes. “How bad was it?” He asks cautiously.

JARVIS hesitates. “I am not sure it would be a good idea to-”

“JARVIS,” He warns.

JARVIS hesitates. “They all believe she will ruin you and your career, sir.”

Tony sighs roughly, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll put her in her room,” He says, heading towards the elevator. “Hopefully she’ll be fine in the morning.”

When the doors open, he instantly heads towards the couch and frowns at the tear stains on her cheeks.

Sighing quietly, he scoops her up and heads towards her room.

Kylie moans, frowning in her sleep.

“Shh,” He whispers, setting her on the bed. “We’ll figure something out.” He hesitates before bushing a kiss on her forehead and rushing out before she can wake up.


End file.
